


Everything and This

by purpleeyesandbowties



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Time Travel Fix-It, do not read unless you have finished the manga, for mother's day i brought tohru's mom back to life, i'm using the 2019 character name spellings: kyo not kyou; soma not sohma; kyoko not kyouko, kyoko lives!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 09:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18797164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyesandbowties/pseuds/purpleeyesandbowties
Summary: “I have a lot of regrets, but not saving her when I could have…that was always my biggest,” Kyo said. The words were old. He’d said them every year and meant them every time. Tohru sighed, as she always did, and squeezed his hand.“You did what you needed to. To keep your secret. To protect yourself.”“If I could go back and do it again, I would save her. I don’t care who would find out my secret. The only thing that would matter is giving you back your mom.”--That night, as Tohru slept beside him, Kyo prayed. What ifs might be enough to soothe Tohru’s grief, but guilt still prickled at him after all these years. He didn’t know who he prayed to, only that he prayed. "Please. If there’s any magic or justice in the world, let me try again. For me, and for every Cat before me whose life was stolen by the curse. For Kyoko. For Tohru, who saved us all."He let out a deep breath and turned over on his side. In her sleep, Tohru shifted to make room for him and he wrapped himself up in her. When he fell asleep, he did not dream. And he certainly did not expect his prayer to be heard.





	Everything and This

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, all! I'm back at it with my ultimate weakness, Time Travel Fix It fic. Quick notes: i use the 2019 spellings and handle honorifics the way the 2019 dub is (that is to say, only occasionally). I have not read Fruits Basket Another so if details about Hajime and the Honda-Soma household are wrong, know it's not done on purpose.

On the anniversary of Kyoko’s death, as they did every year, Tohru and Kyo went for a walk. Hand in hand, as they always were, and, as always, they talked about her. Kyo talked about the kind woman who had spent time with an angry, confused child. Tohru talked about a heartbroken woman who did her best to raise a daughter alone, a woman who recovered her lost sunlight though patience and effort. They both talked about how much they missed her, what she might have said about their relationship, engagement, marriage. The grandchild she didn’t get to meet but who said hello to her every morning in the family shrine. 

“I have a lot of regrets, but not saving her when I could have…that was always my biggest,” Kyo said. The words were old. He’d said them every year and meant them every time. Tohru sighed, as she always did, and squeezed his hand.

“You did what you needed to. To keep your secret. To protect yourself.”

“If I could go back and do it again, I would save her. I don’t care who would find out my secret. The only thing that would matter is giving you back your mom.”

Tohru paused, taking Kyo’s other hand in hers. She rubbed her fingers over his knuckles as if to prove to herself they were real. In a cracked, watery voice, she said, “Of course I want her back. I would give anything to get her back. But we only really met because of her. We only broke the curse because I came to live in Shigure's house. I don’t know if I could selfishly trade the freedom of the Somas for having my mom again. Maybe when I was younger, I would have done it without hesitation. But now, with time and distance…I’m not sure I could.”

“I could,” Kyo said fiercely. His temper, cooled considerably with time and circumstance, occasionally bubbled up as righteous indignation and protectiveness, especially for Tohru. “But I wouldn’t have to. I’d find a way to save her and bring you to the Somas. I swear, we could have all of this _and_ her.”

After all these years, the way Tohru felt when she rested her body against his felt like a miracle—a gift he couldn’t take for granted. He closed his eyes, resting his cheek on the top of her head, basking in the feel of arms around him.

“Thank you,” she said finally. 

—

That night, as Tohru slept beside him, Kyo prayed. What ifs might be enough to soothe Tohru’s grief, but guilt still prickled at him after all these years. He didn’t know who he prayed to, only that he prayed. _Please. If there’s any magic or justice in the world, let me try again. For me, and for every Cat before me whose life was stolen by the curse. For Kyoko. For Tohru, who saved us all._

He let out a deep breath and turned over on his side. In her sleep, Tohru shifted to make room for him and he wrapped himself up in her. When he fell asleep, he did not dream. And he certainly did not expect his prayer to be heard.

—

Kyo woke up to the sound of an alarm he could have sworn he smashed years ago. He was alone, staring up at the ceiling of his master’s house, and he was pissed off. Sixteen-year-old rage bubbled in his stomach, a leftover from a fight he’d had (and lost) the day before. Through the window, crisp May air came in on the breeze.

He lifted a hand to rub his throbbing forehead—what a killer headache—but the sight of his beads made his mouth go sour. 

“Damnit,” he muttered. He’d had a dream last night. He, much older than he was now, and a woman he didn’t know, walking hand in hand, embracing without a worry. He didn’t have his beads on. He’d had dreams of the curse breaking before, but never anything as real as this had felt. The woman had cried in the dream, he remembered, and he had cried too. What for?

Kyo shook himself out of memory. There was no time for that. He had to…do something. Something urgent. He had to….go for a walk? He tried to ignore it, tried to do some pushups and crunches and stretches, but the compulsion to go for a walk overpowered his concentration. Scowling, Kyo threw on a coat and climbed out the window. He walked along with his hands in his pockets, letting his feet wander where they wanted to. His headache had reached it peak when he was ignoring the need for a walk, and now was waning with every step away from the house, so he kept going. Eventually, he stopped at a crosswalk. Among the dull-colored coats of pedestrians, he caught a flash of color. It was a color from his childhood, wrapped up in memories of a pretty lady, a kind voice, and respite from his frustration. There were other feelings wrapped up with her too: shame at not being able to find the woman’s daughter, anger at the damn rat for stealing away another good thing in his life, regret that he never talked to her again. The lady—Kyoko was her name, and he had been so embarrassed to share his name with part of hers—was stepping out into the street. He saw her not see the car coming. 

Kyo’s world narrowed and stopped. He could almost see it happen. The car, speeding right for her, wouldn’t be able to stop in time. She would fly through the air with the impact and fall with a sickening thud and stare at him with lifeless, desperate eyes. She would never forgive him. She was going to die. 

But that was in the future. Right now, there was still time. His headache came back, full-force, and he nearly crumpled under the weight the thoughts crashing through his head. _I could save her. She’ll find out my secret. She’s going to die. But the curse! The curse doesn’t matter. I have to save her._ And one last thought flashed through his mind. It didn’t entirely make sense, but it was the one to make him decide. _I told Tohru I would save her._

He dashed out into the street, pushing his way past the other pedestrians. 

“Kyoko!” he shouted. She hesitated and made a half-turn, but he could tell it wouldn’t be enough to stop her trajectory from intersecting with the car. So he reached out and grabbed her wrist, hauling her into his chest just as the car sped by. His headache evaporated again and if he still had human knees to feel, they would have gone weak with relief. Instead, he closed his eyes and let the transformation take over.

—

Kyoko spent her walk to work worrying about Tohru. She would likely come home that night with a fever, especially if Kyoko didn’t get home first to clean house and start dinner. _Silly girl_ , Kyoko thought with a fond smile. _What would I do without her? I hope all that studying was worth the pain it caused her._ She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she wasn’t paying any attention to her surroundings. She stepped out onto the crosswalk, humming under her breath, her mind still on plans for later in the day. Faintly, she heard someone yell behind her.

“Kyoko!” 

The voice was one she’d never heard before, but it still rang of familiarity. She hardly had time to start turning around before the person who called her name grabbed her arm. She stumbled, knocking into the lanky teenage boy who had grabbed her. The next things happened very quickly: she gasped as a rush of air tore past her; a car horn screamed at her; the boy’s body disappeared; and she fell on the ground, landing on something soft and warm.

“What the hell?” she muttered. Slowly, she raised herself up on her hands, only mildly scraped from the fall onto the concrete. The thing she had landed on turned out to be a cat with orange fur. He was inside a pile of men’s clothes, and she must have landed pretty hard on him because he was knocked out cold. But the thing that really caught her attention was the bracelet of white and red beads laying beside the cat. Something about them tugged at a thread in her memories.

“Miss? Miss? Are you alright?” 

Kyoko lifted her head. A small crowd of people were around her now, hovering anxiously.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she managed. She stood up on wobbly legs.

“Maybe we should take you to the hospital,” a man said, offering her his hand. She took it to regain her balance. A woman said, “That was a close call! I could have sworn I saw a young man run toward you but….I’m not sure where he went.”

“Yes, I did too,” another passerby said. “A boy with bright orange hair. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Oh,” said Kyoko. “Oh!”

The memory thread unraveled and she knew now why she had almost recognized that voice, and why the color of the cat’s fur looked so familiar. She looked down at the heap of clothing, at the boy who had become a young man and who was now currently an unconscious cat.

For the benefit of the crowd, she brushed off her clothes and said “I’m fine,” again. Then she scooped up the cat and the clothes and took off at a dead run.

The cat was still unconscious when Kyoko made it back to the apartment. She slammed the door behind her and rested with her back against it, breathing heavily. 

“Mom?” Tohru asked. She was in uniform, tying her hair up in ribbons. _Good, she got up in time,_ Kyoko thought, then shook it off for a more important one. _What am I going to tell her?_

“Hey,” Kyoko said, still trying to catch her breath. “Sorry. Keep getting ready for school, okay? I don’t want you to be late for that test.”

Tohru cocked her head but did what she was told. As soon as her daughter vanished into the bathroom, Kyoko dropped the clothes in a heap on the floor and reached for the telephone. She dialed her workplace and stuck the phone between her ear and her shoulder. The cat breathed steadily in her arms but didn’t open his eyes.

“Hello, sir, this is Honda Kyoko. I will not be in today…my daughter? Uh, yes. Yes, she’s sick.” At that, Tohru stuck her head out the bathroom door. Kyoko gestured at Tohru frantically with her free hand and Tohru gave a couple of loud, incredibly fake, hacking coughs. Kyoko flashed her a thankful smile. “Yes. Yes. I will come in early tomorrow. Thank you, sir.”

She hung up the phone with a sigh.

“Thanks for covering for me, sweetie.”

“Mom, what is going on?” Tohru asked, stepping out fully.

Just then, the cat woke up. He startled, wriggling wildly, and Kyoko had no choice but to drop him. He landed on his feet, his tiny, furry head whipping around the small room. And then, just as suddenly, the cat was a boy again. 

—

When Kyo woke up, he wasn’t really sure what was happening. He was being held, certainly, if his partial view of a wall and ceiling were anything to go on. So he must still be a cat. The person holding him was talking to someone else—on the phone, maybe? Things were still pretty blurry and that damn headache was back, though thankfully weaker than it had been before. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to sort out what had happened. Kyoko’s voice filtered through. _Thank god, I managed to save her,_ he thought. Then he heard another voice, light and airy, but tinged with concern. Something deep inside him twisted in recognition, like the floor had fallen out from under him. His eyes snapped open again, trying to find the source of the voice. There was a girl in a blue uniform standing in the doorway to the room. She had long brown hair held back by yellow ribbons. Kyo let out a strangled meow—the girl! It was the girl Yuki had beat him to finding, the girl from the picture Kyoko showed him so long ago. _Still cute,_ he thought, a bit wildly. Kyoko dropped him on the floor, which was much more his speed. Though, now that he wasn’t being held, transformation wasn’t far off. Kyo looked around for a nearby exit because the last thing he wanted was to be naked in front of these two women. But he was too slow; the transformation came on quickly. And as soon as it did, he remembered that modesty was really the least of his worries. Blood thundered behind his eyes, a primal cry for his skin to split and shift and change.

“Bracelet,” he managed to grunt. “Bracelet, white and red bone, need it now!”

“What,” Kyoko asked flatly, rooted to the spot.

“ _Red and white bracelet,”_ Kyo repeated. He clenched his fists, trying to keep his recently-returned human body from transforming into something even more cursed. He pressed his closed fists against his forehead, trying his best to hold in a cry.

“Now!” he shouted. 

The girl moved before her mother did. She dropped to her knees and dug through the pile of clothes hurriedly. The white and red string of beads flew through the air towards him. He had to lunge to catch it, but managed to do so. Shaking with the effort of staying grounded, Kyo slipped the bracelet on. As soon as it hit his wrist, a huge pressure lifted off Kyo’s shoulders. He no longer had to devote all his attention to staying how he was. Now he could think about other things. Like what was happening right now. And getting clothes on. And how he was going to explain this. And how Akito might take this opportunity to lock him up a few years early. First things first, though. He turned to the girl.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Ah—it was nothing,” she said as if on instinct.

“You’re that boy, aren’t you?” Kyoko asked. Kyo nodded. He didn’t have to clarify what boy she meant—they both understood. He bit his lip and leaned down to collect his clothes. 

“Could you…?” he asked, gesturing vaguely. That made both women go red and they turned around as if on strings. Kyo pulled on his clothes as quickly as he could. Once he was decent again, he cleared his throat. 

“I’m sorry I never gave you my name. It’s Kyo.”

Kyoko gave a little startled laugh as if putting something together. “Oh, that makes sense. I’m Kyoko, if you don’t remember.”

“I remember. And I remember you,” he said, nodding at Tohru. She pointed at herself.

“Me? But we never met, did we?” 

“No. But your mom showed me a picture once.”

He decided not to tell her about the botched rescue attempt. That could come later, if ever. Hopefully never, actually.

“Well, then, it’s nice to meet you,” Tohru said, bowing. “I’m Honda Tohru.”

“Soma Kyo.”

Kyoko crossed her arms. “Okay, Soma Kyo. I have questions.”

Kyo sat down on the ground. “Okay,” he said.

“Okay,” she repeated, obviously thrown. She glanced at the clock. “Tohru, you better get to school.”

Tohru opened her mouth to argue but quickly deflated. She bid her mother goodbye, bowed at Kyo again, and left. Kyo watched her go, some strange emotion he didn’t know to place bubbling in his stomach. Longing, maybe? Curiosity, definitely. It was stupid to think about a future when all that awaited him was a tiny room, but when he looked at her, it was like seeing possibilities he’d never let himself entertain before. Not even with her, specifically, but just in general. But maybe with her. Maybe.

Kyoko coughed. He dragged his eyes away from Tohru guiltily. Kyoko raised an eyebrow but let it go. Kyo blushed like he’d gotten a full lecture from her.

“Right. So. Why are you a cat? Wait.” She held up a hand, preemptively cutting him off. “Let me get you some tea. This is not going to be a quick conversation.”

Kyo had been scouting escape routes since he’d opened his eyes. The only window in the apartment had a rickety fire escape he thought would be able to hold his weight. If not, well, a cat always landed on his feet. Kyoko disappeared into a room Kyo assumed had to be a kitchen and he quietly stood up and made a break for the window. He was halfway out it when he heard a, “Oh, no you don’t!” and felt a hard yank on his clothes. Kyoko had him by the belt and didn’t seem close to letting go anytime soon.

“Nuh-uh, cat boy, you don’t get to save my life and vanish without explanation. We are not playing that game.”

Kyo closed eyes and wondered, briefly, why he had bothered to save her in the first place. He let her tow him back inside and watched as she closed and locked the window. She pointed fiercely at him.

“Sit.”

He sat. A few minutes later, she returned with two cups of tea. She placed one in front of him.

“Tea. Drink.”

Meekly, he did. It wasn’t the worst tea he’d ever had—Kazuma still held that record—but his nose scrunched up after the first sip.

Kyoko sat and crossed her legs, looking for all the world like a young, dangerous Yankee, despite being a 30-year-old mom in a button up shirt and cardigan.

“Now talk."

—

Kyoko could tell that Kyo was lying, or at the very least, avoiding the truth. 

“So,” she summed up, “You are cursed to turn into a cat.”

“Yes.”

“When you’re hugged.”

“Or sick. Weak.”

“Huh. Okay. Why?”

“I—” He paused and frowned. Carefully, he said, “I’ve been cursed my whole life.”

“So you’ve said. But what you haven’t said is why.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not going to tell me the truth, are you?” 

He fell silent, looking down at the table. Kyoko narrowed her eyes, tapping a hand on her thigh. She sighed, pushing back her bangs.

“Kyo, I like to think I’ve settled down since my wild youth. I learned a lot during my time running with gangs, and that kind of thing sticks with you.” 

He looked up, a little confused, but she didn’t give him time to ask a question. Instead, 

she lunged across the table, yanking Kyo’s arm towards her. Her other arm blocked his, anticipating his struggle. He was strong and it took all her strength to keep him in place, arms immobilized with one hand clamped around each of his wrists.

“What—what are you doing?”

“What I have to,” Kyoko said grimly. She hooked her fingers under the white and red beads.

“Tell me the truth—all of it—or I rip off the bracelet.”

“No! Damnit, don’t!” Kyo yelled. He went so pale that Kyoko almost loosened her grip. There was real fear in his eyes, not just the nervousness she had anticipated. In her mind, she shrieked apologies, but her gaze never wavered.

“You have till the count of three,” she warned.

“Fine! Okay! I’m the cat of the Zodiac!”

Kyoko tilted her head. “There is no cat in the Zodiac.”

“No shit! They won’t let me in.”

“Who won’t?” she pressed.

“The Soma clan! We’re the Zodiac.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Kyoko said with satisfaction. She finally released his wrists. He rubbed them, glaring at her. She winced. 

“Yeah, I deserve that. I’m really sorry I threatened you like that, but you weren’t giving me much of a choice.”

“Why is it so important for you to know?” he asked.

“Who wouldn’t be curious?” she replied, shrugging. There was more to it than simple curiosity, she knew. The kid she’d met so many years ago crossed her mind now and again. She’d always wanted to know how he’d ended up, how he’d grown, and if he was happier now. Looking at the kid sitting in front of her…she figured ‘happy’ might be too optimistic a word. But back to business: “Now, you said the Somas were the Zodiac. So are you all cursed?”

Kyo gave a short, dry laugh. “Nah, the clan is so huge. Not even every Soma knows about the curse. Those of us who are cursed, we’re on the ‘inside’.” 

He hesitated, something dark and bitter crossing his face. “I say ‘we’ but they won’t let me ‘inside’. I’m just the cat, after all. I don’t have a place at the banquet.”

Kyoko couldn’t help one happy wriggle in her seat. “Wow, this is so cool! Tell me more!”

Kyo looked at her like he couldn’t believe she was excited about this. But it made his face soften and he rolled his eyes, gesturing at her to ask her questions. There were a lot. Some obviously hit close to home—“Why exactly isn’t the cat allowed to join, if you’re obviously still part of the Zodiac curse?”— and some were embarrassing for Kyo—“If the cursed Somas can’t have sex, how are there enough Somas to be cursed?”. And, though persistent questioning, Kyoko managed to piece together an idea of the Soma clan. All twelve—thirteen, counting Kyo—Zodiacs were born, which apparently hadn’t happened for a while, the leader of the Somas wasn’t an animal but was still somehow connected, the Rat was named Yuki and Kyo hated him deeply, and Kyo had been raised by the grandson of the previous cat. Kyo flat-out ignored any question about his beads and why they were so important to keep on, and Kyoko had enough scraps of tact to keep her from pressing too much. After their long Q&A session, Kyoko treated him to some takeout. It was the least she could do for all the trouble she’d caused him and to thank him for saving her this morning.

“It’s nothing. If you hadn’t interfered, I could have died!” she said cheerfully, waving her chopsticks at him. Kyo’s shoulders hunched and he ducked his head.

“Sorry. Too dark?” she asked. 

“Maybe,” Kyo said. “Thanks for the food.”

“Of course! Now, let’s talk about what’s next.”

“What’s next? What do you mean, ‘what’s next’? Now, I go back to my life and you go back to yours.”

Kyoko couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing.

Kyo bristled, slamming his fist against the table. “Stop laughing, old lady! It isn’t funny!”

Kyoko settled down. “You’re right, that was rude. Still, kid, I’m not just going to walk away from this. Listen, I’m a mom, and that makes me responsible for any kid I meet who needs a parent.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” he grumbled. “Or a mom. I had one of those and I don’t need a repeat experience.”

“Maybe not, but you do need a friend. If not me, then maybe my daughter. Or one of her friends, or someone you haven’t told me about. But I can’t just leave you alone. It’s not happening.”

Kyo said nothing. Kyoko clicked her tongue at his sulking face. 

“I’m not going to force you to do anything but I’d really like you to come back, okay? If nothing else, I owe you some more thanks for what you did this morning.”

Kyo still refused to meet her eyes. Kyoko reached out and laid her hand on his. 

“Listen, it really worried me the last time you vanished. I’d like to do a better job of keeping track of you this time. Is that alright?”

Kyo flushed and pulled his hand away. Kyoko sipped her tea and let him ruminate on it for a minute.

“Okay. I’ll come visit again. Don’t expect it often or anything. I’m a busy guy.”

Kyoko beamed. “Great!” 

She kept chattering on and eventually got Kyo talking about his martial arts teacher. She grinned and asked questions and reacted to his stories where she should, but inside her head, a whole new set of gears were turning. She needed a plan, and, bit by bit, it started forming.

—

Tohru woke up to Hajime jumping on her stomach.

“Oof!” she gasped, sitting up and scooping her child into her arms. At five, he had his father’s energy and predilection for martial arts, hence the early-morning sneak attack.

“What was that for?” she asked. 

“Bored, Mamma!”

“Bored? Where’s your daddy? He said he’d play with you today, right?”

Tohru looked around but Kyo’s spot next to her in the bed was empty. The sheets were cold, so he must have gotten up much earlier than she did. That wasn’t particularly unusual, but it was strange that he hadn’t gotten Hajime up, too. They’d had plans to go to the dojo today. Kazuma had promised a private lesson for the father and son.

“Hmm. Maybe he went to the roof,” Tohru mused. “Well, in the meantime, let’s get you some breakfast, alright?”

Hajime shook his head. “I already ate!”

“Did you?”

“Yes! Obaachan made me eggs.” He made a disgusted face. “She put leeks in it, though, so I had rice instead, and she ate the eggs.”

Tohru blinked. “Who?”

“You know, Obaachan. Your mamma, Mamma.”

“Honey, my mamma isn’t here. Remember yesterday? We went to go visit her grave. You left some flowers there for her.”

Hajime giggled. “That doesn’t make sense, Mamma.”

Before Tohru could ask him another question, someone knocked on the doorframe. A strong female voice said, “Morning, Tohru. Sorry to drop by unexpectedly. I wanted to surprise—”

Honda Kyoko stepped into the room. Her face was older than Tohru remembered, with crow’s feet around her eyes. Her hair was long again, bound up in a braid. As she caught the look on Tohru’s face, her voice drifted off. 

“What’s wrong, Tohru?”

Tohru clapped a hand against her mouth.“Mom?” she asked, voice wavering dangerously. It was impossible, it had to be impossible—Honda Kyoko had been dead for fifteen years. Just yesterday, she and Kyo had remembered her, visited her grave, honored her memory. Just yesterday, Kyo had told her he would have done anything to change the past. Just yesterday….and today, he was gone. It was impossible, yes, but then, Tohru had more experience with the impossible than most people. The Somas were impossible, breaking the curse was impossible, and now, this, seeing her mother again, _this_ was impossible too.

“Why are you crying?” Hajime asked, looking worriedly between his mother and grandmother. Tohru looked down at him as if seeing him for the first time. 

“Hajime, why don’t you go outside and play? I’ll come out when I’m ready and we can go to the dojo to visit Grandpa Kazuma.”

“But you’re crying,” he said. 

“I know, I know. Silly of me. Just go. I’m alright.” She forced a smile for her son and kissed the top of his head.

Hajime gave his mother one more dubious look but did as he was told. As soon as the door closed behind him, Tohru buried her face in her hands.

“Tohru, you’re scaring me,” Kyoko said, but that only made Tohru sob harder. Blindly, she stood up and wobbled across the room.

“Can…can I hug you?”

“Of course,” Kyoko said, opening her arms. Tohru fell into them, clutching tightly at her mother. Kyoko huffed a surprised laugh.

“Hey! Hey, I’m not going anywhere. What’s gotten into you, Tohru?”

“I missed you,” Tohru whispered. “You can’t even imagine how much I missed you.”

“I missed you too. I had the most awful dream last night. That’s why I came over here today. I just wanted to see you.”

Tohru didn’t ask what kind of dream Kyoko had. She could guess.

“Hey, where _is_ Kyo?” Kyoko asked, looking around the small room as if that would make him appear.

“He’s out on business. It was a sudden trip, but he’s doing good things for our family.”

“When will he back?”

“When he’s done everything he’s supposed to, I think,” Tohru said, hoping it was true. Silently, she hoped that would be soon. She missed him horribly. If he could come back to her, she would have everything she ever wanted—everything, she thought, looking at her mother, everything and this, too.

—

Kyo kept his promise and came back the next day. Kyoko found him sitting on the curb outside the apartment building after she got back from work and laughed.

“What?” he asked, bristling.

“It’s familiar,” she said, sitting next to him. He relaxed again, rolling his eyes.

“Some things don’t change,” he said. Kyoko nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes of quiet, Kyo said, “Hey. I didn’t tell you this yesterday, but I have to tell the family head you saw me transform.”

“Hmm. Okay. What will happen?”

Kyo shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “Depends what kind of mood Akito is in. He might let it be as long as you promise to keep quiet. Or he might erase your memories.”

Even though she had recently quit, Kyoko’s fingers itched for a cigarette. “I see.”

Then, after a beat of silence: “Can I go plead my case?”

“What?”

“Akito. The family head. I want to go talk to him,” Kyoko said resolutely. This had been part of the plan, anyhow—finding a way to talk to the head of the family. She was just lucky talking to him happened to be part of the standard procedure, so to speak. Kyo shrugged. “I don’t know. This is the first time someone on the outside saw me transform. I’m not sure how these things happen.”

She stood up and dusted off her pants. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Let’s go? Right now?”

“Yeah, why not? You need to tell him, and the sooner the better, right? Besides, Tohru is at work this afternoon, and I don’t want her getting mixed up in all of this.”

“Me either,” Kyo said. He shook his head. “Okay, then. Let’s go, I guess.”

Kyoko tried not to be impressed by the size of the Soma compound but couldn’t help a little bit of awe. Her earlier question about how there could be enough Somas to be cursed seemed silly now; they were barely inside the gates and she had already seen a few dozen people. Most of them gave her a glance and then a second, longer glance at Kyo. The boy hunched his shoulders and put his hands in his too-large jacket pockets. 

“Not popular around here, are you?” Kyoko said. Kyo grunted in response. She pressed her lips together. “Right. I’ll be quiet.” 

Kyoko trailed behind Kyo for twenty more minutes. The number of people staring at them had only increased and it was making Kyoko uncomfortable.

“Shit,” Kyo muttered, standing in front of the giant front doors of the biggest house in the compound.

“What?”

“I didn’t call ahead to ask if Akito was free to meet. He doesn’t know we’re coming.”

Kyoko thought it over for a minute. “Well, there’s no harm in going in and seeing if he’s in, right?”

“Well…” Kyo said, sounding very uncertain about the possibility of harm, but Kyoko had made up her mind. She stepped up the door and rapped on the wood. Behind her, Kyo fidgeted nervously. Kyoko, ever impatient, knocked again and the door slid open to reveal an angry-looking woman with long, black hair.

“What is your business here, Cat?” she asked brusquely, looking past Kyoko entirely. Kyoko raised an eyebrow. Whoever this was, she didn’t like her attitude.

“Hello. I am Honda Kyoko. I wish to speak to Soma Akito,” she said, as pleasantly as she could.

The woman looked over, clearly surprised to see her there. “You wish to speak to Master Soma? Who are you?”

“I just told you my name. Honda Kyoko.”

The woman flicked her fingers dismissively. “What business do you have with my son?”

“That’s between me and Master Soma,” Kyoko countered. Something about this woman rubbed her wrong. She was arrogant but in a dangerous way—overwhelming confidence, perhaps to conceal deeper insecurities. That kind of attitude was unpredictable. Kyoko felt she was up to the challenge, though.

“Um,” Kyo said suddenly. The woman looked over to him, clearly annoyed. Kyo took a deep breath but continued, “she saw me transform. That’s why we have to talk to Master Soma.”

The woman’s eyes flashed cold and cruel, but her voice was playful and light when she said, “You’re playing with fire, Cat. I’ll just tell the maids to clean out your room, shall I?”

Kyo took an unconscious step towards Kyoko, away from the woman. Instinctively, Kyoko puffed up her chest and moved in front of Kyo, one hand splayed out slightly as if to protect him. Threats against the boy who had saved her would not fly, not even with the mother of the most powerful man in the Soma clan. Still keeping up a false cheer, she said, “I think that’s also something between Kyo and Master Soma. Your son, you said? My daughter doesn’t appreciate it when I stick my nose in her business and I’m sure your son feels the same way. After all, he’s the head of the family, not you. Isn’t that right?”

Sincere smile, concerned head-tilt, the whole bullshit nine yards. It took all of Kyoko’s resolve not to break into a shit-eating grin when the woman gave Kyoko a withering glare. 

“Follow me,” she snapped. Kyoko followed almost in step with the arrogant woman, who tried very hard to lengthen her stride so Kyoko would have to trail behind her. Kyoko matched her step for step. Kyo, on the other hand, seemed to want to keep his distance. And if he stood close enough to Kyoko to hold the edge of her jacket surreptitiously, she wasn’t going to mention it to anyone. She reached back and grabbed his hand for one quick, reassuring squeeze. He dropped her hand right after, but his shoulders relaxed once again, so she counted it as a victory. That feeling buoyed her throughout the trailing maze of rooms the woman—Mistress Ren, according to several servants who bowed to her as she walked past—led Kyoko and Kyo though. She handed them off to an older, impeccably dressed maid, who went into the next room to “prepare Master Soma”. Ren gave Kyoko a cold, calculating look.

“I hope your meeting with my son goes well,” she said, absolutely not meaning it. 

“As well as our first acquaintance, I should hope,” Kyoko shot back with a simpering smile. Ren’s smile dropped completely and she swept out the door. Kyoko rolled her eyes and let her own posture relax.

“What a bitch,” she muttered. Kyo stifled a laugh.

“I’m glad you said it and not me.” Then Kyo sobered up. “Seriously, though. Be careful with Akito, alright?”

“Are you not coming in?”

Kyo shook his head. “Since you’re here….I think it would be better if I’m not in the room.”

He scuffed one foot against the floor. “I’m not well-liked here.”

The maid returned before Kyoko could react to that.

“Master Soma will see you now. You are very lucky he was available.” 

She gestured Kyoko through an ornate door. Kyo gave her a stiff nod and followed the maid back out into the hallway. Kyoko took a deep breath and marched through the doorway. Inside, a young man in a carelessly-folded kimono lounged by a window. Kyoko quickly schooled her look of surprise—the head of the Soma house barely had five years on her own daughter, if even that. Soma Akito carried himself with a grace that spoke to knowing his place in the world and an arrogance that said he knew he was the most important person in the room. As she stood in the doorway, Akito sat more fully upright. His kimono fabric slipped further down his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to care. This was a man unconcerned about much of anything, Kyoko realized.

And then he spoke, and Kyoko realized how wrong she had been.

“So you saw our cursed cat,” he said, and Kyoko was thrown back in time to her own teenage days when gang leaders barely old enough to attend middle school tried to rule the streets, herself alongside them. She almost laughed but caught herself just in time. Unconcerned? No, this was a man _completely_ concerned with absolutely everything. Everything about him was calculated, controlled, measured, planned. From experience, Kyoko knew that kind of polish was pretty and impressive but also fragile and easy to crack.

“That’s right,” she said, schooling her expression into something she hoped passed as respectful. 

“So you know that we have to wipe your memories,” he said.

“I know that’s one thing Kyo said might happen,” she said pleasantly. “But before we get to that, I want to know: why are you planning on imprisoning Kyo?”

Akito, who had been looking out the window instead of directly at her, whipped his head around.

“How did you know about that?”

“Your mother is not as discreet as she thinks she is. She can’t resist an opportunity to antagonize someone. It’s childish, really. Plus, Kyo has hardly stopped flinching since we got here, which means that you have something on him. A threat, maybe.”

“Or a promise,” Akito said, narrowing his eyes. 

“Doesn’t sound like a good promise to me.”

“It’s a holy promise. The oldest promise of them all: the Zodiacs belong to me. That includes the Cat, as pitiful as such a thing is. Kyo knows his place and it’s in his room where I can keep an eye on him.”

“Hmm.” Kyoko ran a hand through her hair, frowning. “Oh, this is gonna be tough. I’m gonna have to quit my job….”

“What are you babbling on about, woman?” Akito asked, disdainful.

“I’m not talking to you,” Kyoko said, returning to her inner monologue. _There’s something off about Akito, and it’s not just his age. There’s something else. A secret maybe, or maybe it’s just his rotten attitude._ Out loud, she muttered, “Kyo’s obviously not safe here, and if he’s not, I doubt the other Zodiacs—whoever they are—are in much better shape. Right, that settles that.”

“Settles what?” Akito asked, a tinge of worry entering his tone.

Sympathetically, Kyoko said, “you really are so young. It must be so hard on you.”

“Hard?” Akito scoffed. “I was born for this. It’s easy for me—it’s right, it’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Kyoko tilted her head. “Then what are you hiding?”

Akito’s eyes bulged. He yanked the front of his kimono tighter across his chest. “I’m not hiding anything,” he snapped. Everything in his body language screamed panic, outrage, nervousness. Kyoko had the sudden double-vision of Tohru when she was thirteen and just old enough to need a bra. She had her arms crossed over her chest like that any time anyone as much as glanced at her—ashamed, somehow, for what her body was. Something snapped into place: his delicate features and purposefully-pitched voice were not just peculiarities—they were clues. 

Kyoko let out a surprised laugh. “ _That’s_ your secret? That’s what you’re lying about?”

Dropping his— _her? Let’s go with his, for now,_ Kyoko decided—facade of calm control for good, Akito stood up and stalked over to Kyoko. She didn’t flinch as Akito got right up in her face. 

Akito really was so young. Insecure, too. In a way, he reminded her of Tohru. That made it very easy for her to pity him and nearly impossible for her to fear him.

“You are perceptive,” Akito growled. “That’s dangerous. I can’t have my Zodiacs in danger. For that, I’m going to take your memories—all of them. By the time I’m done, you won’t remember who you are, let alone me.”

“That’s too bad,” Kyoko said, genuinely meaning it. “See, as a mother, I recently decided to protect any kid without a good parent to help them. Kyo’s already under my protection. I’d have wanted to extend that to you as well, since your mother is obviously batshit crazy.”

“What—do you not understand that I’m _threatening you?!”_

Carefully, Kyoko loosened the hands clinging to her shirt and released Akito’s arms. Looking at him like this, shaken and so, so young, Kyoko almost wondered if she _could_ save him from himself. But she also remembered Kyo’s worry and discomfort about coming here and the stories he’d told her about the Cat’s mistreatment at the hands of the Somas. That was historic, epidemic. It was on the Somas as a whole but also on Akito personally, for perpetuating the cycle. 

So she said, “Oh, no, I’m aware. But to erase my memories, you’ll have to catch me first. And I’m gonna break the curse before you can do that.”

Kyoko decided to take her leave while he was processing what she said, stock-still in the middle of the room. She said, “Goodbye, Akito. I hope we meet again.”

She closed the door. Behind it, Akito screamed.

—

Kyo’s head snapped up when Akito screamed. He knew what that sound meant—pure rage and the promise of violence. Kyoko burst through into the hallway, beaming.

“Holy _shit,_ ” she exclaimed, breathing heavily. “We gotta go!”

Kyo ran beside her without questioning her. At the very least, he wanted to put distance between himself and Akito’s anger.

“What did you do to him?” Kyo yelped. Kyoko laughed, a wild and almost euphoric sound. 

“I guessed his biggest secret and vowed to break the curse so now I’m on the run so I don’t get my memories erased. Wow, this is not how I expected to spend today.”

“Why the hell did you do that?” Kyo shouted. 

“Because I wanted to!”

They made it out of the Soma compound and were now racing down the sidewalk. Suddenly, Kyoko skidded to a stop and reached out. Kyo stopped, too, catching his breath. Fiercely, Kyoko said, “All those years ago, you promised me that you would protect Tohru. Did you mean it?”

“W-What?”

Kyoko grabbed him by the shoulders, looking directly in his eyes.

“Did you mean it?”

Kyo blinked in surprise. Behind his eyes, that now-familiar headache started to build. She shook him. “Did you _mean_ it?”

“Yeah, I—yes.” He straightened his shoulders. “I will protect her. I swear.”

“Good. I hate to do this to both of you, but I have to leave right now _._ I’m leaving Tohru to you. Can you take care of her? Can you find somewhere where she’ll be safe?”

Kyo cast around in his mind—Kazuma would help but he was pretty powerless when it came to Akito. He was barely on the inside. He wouldn’t be of much use. To protect Tohru, Kyo either had to get her as far from the Somas as possible or he had to seek help from someone so close to Akito he wouldn’t dare touch them. The first was impossible, but the second might just work. He remembered someone and the headache took a sharp increase. He growled to himself. He would never willingly live with that damn rat, but if it was to keep Tohru safe….

The instant he decided, the headache started to dissipate, which made him confident he’d made the right choice. It felt bizarre that he was making life decisions based on how much they made his head hurt but his life was already so weird anyway.

“Fine, yes. I have a cousin who is Akito’s favorite. We’ll be safe there.”

“Good.”

She hesitated. “I would hug you, but that would take up time we don’t have. Let’s go.”

Kyo trotted along beside Kyoko. 

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Not sure. I have to leave town at the very least, but I guess…somewhere where I can research curses and how to break them. Any ideas?”

Kyo gave it a minute. 

“My master, Kazuma, he knows a lot about the Soma curse. He’s got a training dojo way up in the mountains. You’d be safe there.”

Kyoko nodded. “Great. I’ll start there.”

She took a small notebook out of her purse and Kyo scribbled down an address. She took it and slipped it carefully into her pocket. 

“Come on, I should get some things from my apartment. I’ll leave you there to wait for Tohru and explain what’s going on.”

She reached out and brushed the back of her hand across his cheek.

“Thank you, Kyo. You’ve done so much for me.”

“Really? ‘Cause I feel like I’ve kind of ruined your life. You’re on the run from my crazy family now, remember?”

Kyoko sighed. “I love my life. Really, I do. My daughter….she’s my world. But that’s a small world. Since Katsuya died, well, my world got even smaller. I don’t miss my days in the gangs. I’m past that. But I do miss the excitement, the feeling of being part of something bigger and more important. Meeting you, it feels like the start of something big again. I do regret having to leave Tohru behind, but she’s a strong girl. She can handle it. And I’ll be back soon.”

“That’s right. She’ll be alright,” Kyo said, feeling completely sure of it. “I’ll be there for her. This time, I swear I will.”

Kyoko smiled, relieved. “Good boy.”

—

That night, after Kyoko left and Tohru came back and Kyo answered questions, after Kyo gave her a hug from her mom and lived through a very loud and confusing conversation about the curse, after calling Shigure and another long conversation that included a shameful amount of pleading and even more explaining, after falling into a dusty spare bed at Shigure’s house—in a room as far from the Rat as he could get, and Tohru safe in a bed across the hall—Kyo dreamed of a banquet hall. It was old but well-cared for, beautiful in an ancient way. He felt out of place in it, yet it felt almost like home. The room was dark and empty, except for a light coming in from the window. Just as he was beginning to get bored with this dream, something materialized in front of him. The Cat’s spirit sat down, curling its tail over its paws. Behind its eyes was the weight of far more than just nine lives. Just then, Kyo realized that he was older than sixteen again. His wrist was bare. He remembered his wife and family. He remembered the promise he had made to Tohru.

“Kyo,” the Cat said. “You asked me to send you back. ‘If there’s any magic or justice in the world,’ you said. ‘For every Cat before me whose life was stolen by the curse’.”

Beside the Cat, the god knelt. This god was not Akito, in the same way that the Cat’s spirit was not Kyo. Their ancient eyes were gentle as they said, “Your prayer was answered. It was a small request from the last of the Cats, especially since it was up to you to make the right choices. You have changed the past and it will change the present. But you have done enough. You may be sent back to your own time and things will be much the same. Those who found happiness the first time will find it again.” God put a hand to their chest. “Some who struggled before will find peace sooner. You need not worry about those you care for.”

Kyo leaned forward. “The curse still breaks?”

“Yes. It might happen sooner this time, or it may be later. But it will break, and you will all be free.”

“And my son, Hajime? Will he still be born?”

“The children who come after this will still be born in their time. The lives the Zodiacs were meant to live will continue on their intended trajectory.”

God smiled, and it nearly brought tears to Kyo’s eyes. 

“You do not need to worry anymore, Kyo. You have given the one who let us rest what she wanted most of all.”

“Send me back to her,” Kyo said. He pressed a hand against his chest, against his pounding, aching heart. “I miss her so much.”

“She misses you as she missed her mother all these years. She will miss neither any longer.”

The god stood and gave Kyo one last gentle smile before disappearing. The Cat’s spirit stood as well, but instead of leaving, it pushed up against the back of Kyo’s hand, purring.

“I did not mind being you,” it said. “You understood my anger in a way many Cats did not. You grew to tolerate the True Form we both despised—you found balance and acceptance of what other Cats did not. You made it possible for me to rest again. You were the best of the Cats.”

Kyo petted the Cat’s head. He smiled wanly. “I won’t say I was glad to be cursed, but….well, it wasn’t always awful.”

The Cat nodded and left, fading into the dark of the room. Kyo closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of incense and old wood, drinking in the feel of this old, old place. He opened his eyes.

Tohru slept beside him, curled up with her back to him. Quietly, he slipped out of bed. 

Hajime’s room was just as he remembered it. Tohru had hand-painted the trim with flowers—she had been so proud of her work. Kyo helped put together the crib, and later, the bed. Kyo leaned against the doorframe, watching his son sleep. 

“You’re still here,” he murmured. “Thank goodness.”

Hajime shifted and yawned. “Daddy?”

“Hey, buddy. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t sleeping.”

Kyo laughed. “Right, of course.” He walked across the room and sat down on Hajime’s bed.

“Why did you leave, Daddy? Me and Mamma missed you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kyo hesitated. “How long was I gone?”

Hajime’s forehead wrinkled. Time was a difficult concept for him. He still got his days mixed up.

“Dunno. I did two baths since you left. Mamma didn’t do the bubbles the way you do.”

Kyo sighed in relief. Just two days, then. Good.

“I missed you too, Hajime,” he said. “And tomorrow night, I’ll make sure there are extra bubbles, okay?”

“Okay,” Hajime agreed happily. He yawned again.

“I’ll let you get back to sleep,” Kyo said. He settled Hajime back into bed and tucked him in. Hajime turned over, pushing into his pillow with a sigh. Kyo rubbed his back.

“Obaachan tucked me in yesterday.”

Kyo’s hand stilled. “Did she?”

“Mmhm. Mamma cried a lot when she saw Obaachan. How come?”

“I think….it’s just been a long time since she saw Obaachan. She missed her.”

Half asleep, Hajime said, “I missed you and Mamma missed Obaachan and you missed me. I guess people just miss each other sometimes.”

Kyo leaned down and kissed Hajime on the forehead and let his son drift off to sleep.

Back in their room, he kissed Tohru’s forehead, too. She stirred and opened her eyes. 

“I’m back,” he whispered. Tohru broke into a smile and threw her arms around his neck. He nearly toppled over with the force of it and, laughing, they collapsed onto the bed.

“Welcome back, Kyo,” she murmured. He kissed her. 

“I’m sorry I left without saying anything,” he said. She rested her forehead against his.

“Kyoko came to visit yesterday,” she said.

“I know. Hajime told me.”

“Then I don’t have to tell you how thankful I am. But I will anyway.”

“I only gave you back what you deserve.”

“What we deserve,” Tohru corrected him. Kyo smiled.

“Yeah. We have everything we want.” 

He gestured between them as if to indicate what he meant—the love and trust and devotion and the child sleeping a room away. “And we have this, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm @lesbianuotani on tumblr, come chat!


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